My 500th Post // Thoughts on + Mini Reviews of More Movies I've Seen in the Theater

Happy June! How's it going, bloggers and readers alike? I've been done with school for almost completely three weeks now, but the last two weeks have been...more school. Summer school. Which has been so fascinating, but also makes me feel like a combination of Stitch and Wanda about everything (i. e. either I'm super groggy or lack motivation).

Today is a big day because this is my 500th post! I thought I would hit that mark back in January, but...school. So, here we are! I used to do Top 10 posts to celebrate, but now that that's my common form of blogging I thought I should shake it up. Back for my 200th Post in 2018 I talked about Movies I Saw in the Theater. Because that was almost 5 years ago (how did I get to 200 posts in just over 2 years and now it's taken 5 years to get to 300 more? Life, I guess) I've seen some more in the theater, so I thought I'd talk about them!

Last time I just kind of...listed them out? All the previous 25? That's boring. Today I'm going to give a few thoughts on either the movie itself or the experience of seeing it in the theater. Some of these I actually reviewed in days gone by, so if you want those full thoughts, they will be the titles linked in blue.

These are all without spoilers for the movies. I repeat, there are no spoilers.

Robin Hood (2018)

This was the emptiest I've ever seen a theater. It was just me, my mom, and my older sister. I thought Jamie Foxx was so cool and the action was pretty epic, but the story? Meh. It was more about "look how cool we can be breaking the law" instead of talking about WHY the law was unjust? And I didn't like the forced triangle and position that Robin and Marian were put in. But it was one of the first stories one of my roommates and I bonded over, so I'm grateful for that!

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)

My sisters and I went to see this on the very last day before they started showing Aquaman. It opens with an owl flying over whatever city it's supposed to be; that was magical to see in the theater. Especially the theater that I usually go to. In my home town there is only one screen so they only play one movie (usually for two weeks) but it's a BIG screen. Really cool.

Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

My mom, sisters, and I went to see this before I went on a retreat. I had been sick and on top of that had gotten my wisdom teeth out a week before. This was such a balm. I had nonstop fun (okaaaaaay, not nonstop because I was crying, too) and it is to date one of my favorite sequels. I loved getting to see all the surprises with my mom.

How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World (2019)

My older sister and I had just earned money from dog sitting and went to see this. Again, any movies with flying are worth the entrance fee for movie theaters. It was EPIC. Even though this stinking movie messed with me with the score. It wouldn't play what I wanted it to play, but kept faking me out. Then it finally did it and I bawled. My sister didn't catch any of that. I just rewatched the first for the millionth time, so I should check this one out again...

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

I'm pretty sure I've told this story many times; after digging I found when and where I told the story, but apparently it's only been once? Weird. Anyway, link HERE (it's at the end of that post).

TL;DR: My Spanish teacher made this possible for me by getting me a DVD copy of Infinity War.

Let's see what new things I can add about the experience:

-This is to date the only movie that I've seen in a theater that didn't have any ads. They jumped right in, which was cool but also very shocking. Especially because it starts with my favorite character.

-My younger sister had basically NO CLUE what was going on because she had only seen: Doctor Strange, Thor: Ragnarok, and Infinity War. So I was whispering to her throughout (*gasps* Oh the horror!) things like "That's Scott Lang, he's Ant-man." She LOVED it even for not knowing anyone.

-Something really big happens in this movie (if you know you know) and for a reaction, some guy behind us said, "Well, that sucks" which nearly made me start laughing. Which is definitely not appropriate.

Aladdin (2019)

In which I was so relieved there wasn't a snake. My older sister and I went and were quoting the Genie for days. This is one of my favorite live-action remakes because it is so colorful and full of life. The direction is punchy, the costumes are to die for, and the humor is right up my alley. Mena Massoud just IS Aladdin.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

My dad came with my sisters and I for this one. Even though he hadn't seen any others, we let him. My younger sister watched Homecoming for the first time on the same day, so she was very full of Spider-man. If I remember correctly, due to when I ranked the MCU movies, it's pretty high on my list! The conflict in this movie is what solidified most teenagers in the opinion that this version of Peter was one of us.

Who knows how many times I've seen it since then? I don't think I've watched the whole thing in one sitting since then, but I've seen lots of bits and pieces.

STAR WARS IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

The only movie that I saw MORE THAN ONCE in the theater. I saw it twice. It was grand. I haven't seen it since Jan. 2020, but I now own a DVD copy mwahaha, so one of these days!

The summer before I had been working and thought of the best way this sequel trilogy could end. And then that IS how it ended. The most satisfying thing in my life. Is this movie perfect? No. There was a lot of sidetracking as people tried to "fix" what wasn't broken, but it means A LOT to me. 

Little Women (2019)

This movie is still as near and dear to my heart as it was that day. Maybe even more so. I should've waited to go with my younger sister, and I'm sorry about that.

This movie is part of my soul. My sister and I started off the year with watching this and the 1994 almost back to back, and guys *whispers* I like this one better. *yells* I LOVE THIS MOVIE. I also cried the whole way through. I'm not kidding. Starting when John Brooke makes some goofy joke about the "lovely greenhouses" I burst into laughter which then turned into sobbing and it. never. stopped. Good times. But I've already defended it a lot, so just go read the review.

Knives Out (2019)

In which my sister totally called what was going to happen. This was a fun one to see in the theater because I usually go for more action-oriented movies. And this one is mystery...if it must be put in one genre. I don't know another movie like it and dig it muchly. And have talked about it enough on this blog so I'm trying to hold it together like Marta is after telling lies...

Moonfall (2022)

Yes, the first after the big time gap. This started the trend of going to movies paid for by my college and I love this. It should be a tradition still. This featured one of the professors giving a talk beforehand all about astronomy and what would make the moon fall. Watching the movie we all felt so smart because we knew what all the technical terms meant. And, this was my first experience with that professor, but he is now one of my FAVORITES and I'm so stoked to be in his department because he makes life worth living.

The friend I went with couldn't believe that I cried during this movie, but yeah, I'm a crier.

Death on the Nile (2022)

I had been waiting YEARS. Years, people. So when my grandma said we should see it over my spring break I was so down.

And it shocked my system to the core.

I loved it. It took a very different perspective that the book does, meaning what it highlighted to be the message, and yet it felt so in character for Branagh's Poirot. I have read the book twice and they really kept me on my feet by changing details! Which I used to be really picky about but now I love when movies are different from books because I get two versions of something I love? 

Father Stu (2022)

I think it's a bit hyped up. So many people I know seem to think it's the best religious movie ever, and I have seen many that I personally have enjoyed much more. This one just seems very aggressive? The experience was really cool, though, because I went with the girl who would become my roommate and it was our first event together!

Mother Teresa: No Greater Love (2022)

Okay, okay, this is a documentary, but I still went to it in the theater (something I had never done before!) so it counts. I also went with the biggest group, so that was exciting? The story of Mother Teresa is so inspiring.

El buen patron (The Good Boss) (2022)

Milestone: my first foreign language film in theater! I drug my roommate to this. I wasn't completely proud of that because I was NOT fan of this movie, but oh well.

Smile (2022)

I'm still not pleased with this movie so I'm still not putting an image. No thank you. I'm just really mad at it because you can scare me all you like, but you should have a BLOOMING POINT. *sulks* This didn't. And that's a real shame if you're creating a story.

But, I guess I'm glad I went? Had free tickets. If you were ever going to watch a horror movie, I would recommend seeing it in a theater with a lot of people because the collective crowd reactions are the best part. It's really uniting? I didn't go with anyone but ended finding an acquaintance there and sitting next to her, which worked out because whenever one of us had our eyes closed, we could whisper "WHAT JUST HAPPENED?". Also, according to her, I'm not so much of a screamer (it FELT like I was screaming a lot...) but I say "Oh no, oh no, oh no" a lot.

Living (2022)

First movie in a theater in 2023! This movie is so pure. It lifts you up and inspires you. It has a kind of typical premise that is handled magnificently. Needless to say, my roommate and I both loved this! It was a nice treat after just getting back into school for the new semester. And I think it subconsciously powered me through the semester.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

(I was going to keep this short and snappy like all the other thoughts, but well, that failed.)

I went to this with my roommate, and y'all, this is probably going to be one of my favorite movies for the year. Which is strange considering I do not like Chris Pine as an actor and almost always think he's annoying. Here he didn't annoy me once! The movie was rollicking good fun. ROLLICKING. I can't stress how much I loved it. All the humor was exactly up my alley, the plot was so creative (which is hard when it comes to fantasy because most feel like they are copying something) and the character dynamics? We need to talk about the character dynamics. I don't know the last time I was so impressed with such a healthy found family. I really appreciated that there was no forced romance (just Simon trying with Doric which was more hilarious than anything, but no pressure). I mean, the friendships in this movie?? My favorite is between Edgin and Holga. It was so refreshing and now everything I want in life is a friend like they are to each other (note, with NO ROMANCE. GIVE ME MORE).

Also, I probably shouldn't like Sofina, and I didn't like her character, but can we talk about how gorgeous Daisy Head is? An absolute queen who can pull off a shaved head like no one else. Both her and Regé-Jean Page we absolutely stunning. Though, the character Xenk owned all of my heart because he is so pure, regal, and noble. Usually characters who don't get sarcasm or jokes are there for laughs in contrast (see Malvolio in Twelfth Night) but there was nothing to laugh about him. He added a great balance and was the perfect character to give Edgin a push to his arc.

The plot was so well set up, too. Man, I wish I could make a story with such good foreshadowing.

Ahem. Anyone have any questions or have I established what I can in a "mini-review"?

The Little Mermaid (2023)

Is this the whole reason I started this list? Oh yeah. My mom and I went to this together and we hadn't been to a movie just the two of us since Incredibles 2! The best movies to see in a HUGE theater are those in the air or in the water. And this happily checks the last box. It's where you feel such a part of the movie with every swish of the water. So much that you get a headache but in the best way.

I am not a fan of the animated Little Mermaid, but I had so much fun with this! It fixed many of my complaints about the original 1989 film, so I applaud their good work there. The actors were all perfect for their roles and the new songs were fun (which I'll probably sing a lot in the future). I'm excited to see it again!

There you have it, the 19 movies I've seen since December 2018. I don't know how I've accomplished that AND 300 more posts in the same time? I couldn't do the posts all without the support of my readers, so thank you!!

And because it's June, I made a new header!

Which we have to throw up here just for posterity. So in the future I'll know when I switched it.

How have you guys been? What have you done the first week of June? I'm trying to make some more videos for my YouTube channel but someone *glares at reflection* can't make decisions of what to cut to make it the right length. Look for that in the future, though!

What are some of your favorite movies you've seen in theater? Craziest experience? Best? I hope the best is yet to come, so what are some upcoming movies you're looking forward to?

Chloe the MovieCritic

My 400th Post: Why I Love Twenty One Pilots

Hello, hello, everyone!

I’m not going to ask how we are in December already because I know that none of you have an answer. Instead, I’m going to ask, how is it possible that this is the 400th post on Movies Meet Their Match?

It is all thanks to you guys for reading! I love getting your comments and being able to encourage you guys to watch movies and read books that I enjoy.

For My 100th Post I said my top 100 favorite movies, for My 200th Post I listed all of the movies that I had seen in the theater, and in My 300th Post I talked about my favorite movie scores. To celebrate today I’m doing something totally different and out of my comfort zone. Usually I ONLY talk about books or movies on this blog, but I’m going to break that rule today by talking about music.

Why am I doing such a thing? To me, while 2020 has been hard, it hasn't been useless. The best thing that happened to me this year is that I discovered my new favorite music artist.

Twenty One Pilots.

I'm going to be telling you what listening to Twenty One Pilots music has meant to me.

Disclaimer: There is a lot of talk when it comes to Twenty One Pilots about whether or not you are a "real fan". I don’t fall for any of that. I myself have been accused of not being a real fan because I didn’t know details about some tiny thing. Does that matter? Nope. People have shade thrown on them for not hearing every single song and not understanding all of their meanings. Whether you like one of their songs or twenty one, it doesn't make you less of a human. I haven’t listened to all of their songs yet, but it doesn’t matter to me if other people have or not! Because it's one of my favorite things I want to share it with other people, but if they aren’t as enthusiastic as me, that’s fine. Both of my sisters are neutral when it comes to Twenty One Pilots, but they are open to me playing a new song of theirs that I’ve discovered, even if they won’t like it.

Also, the awesome thing with all songs is that they are open for interpretation. What I get out of them might not be what you get out of them. I know this for certain as when I showed the song “House of Gold” to my mom, she got a slightly different meaning than me, but we both have our ways of enjoying it.

So, don’t be pressured into being a “fan” of anything! All of us are unique and have different likes and dislikes. If there is something that you truly enjoy, then you can share it with others, but if they don’t like it, don’t make them feel bad or that they are “wrong”.

That’s out of the way, so let’s get into my history with Twenty One Pilots!

Back in April of 2019 I heard my first Twenty One Pilots song. I didn’t pay it too much attention, but I would listen to it from time to time (I’m being vague, but I’ll talk about it more in a minute).

In March 2020 I started listening to a lot of music. I don’t know why, but I had never listened to much music. It was a “in the car” thing or a once a week thing, but in early March I started listening to music daily. And I found a Twenty One Pilots song. I listened to it because I remembered that it was the same group that wrote the first one, and I loved it. From there I listened to more and more before I came really attached.

For those of you who don’t know, you might be wondering, “What is Twenty One Pilots?” (Sometimes abbreviated as TOP).

They are a duo from Ohio who blend several genres, including (but not limited to): Pop, rock, hip-hop, and reggae.

All of their songs are clean (if there is anything that might bother someone, I marked it in this list, but that’s just me being SUPER picky). The songs deal with a lot of dark things, but I think that they handle it really well. My younger sister likes their music, but just has to be in the right mood. Me, I’m always in that mood. Their beats are so awesome for all ages, but the lyrics depend on each person’s comfort zone.

My personal thoughts about their music:

Their music is so fantastic, creative, and unique. I’ve never heard anything like it. I really like Lane Boy (from Blurryface) and feel that it represents their music the best. Because of that I’m going to put most of the lyrics here to analyze, so you might want to listen to it here first.:

“They say, "Stay in your lane, boy, lane, boy"


But we go where we want to


They think this thing is a highway, highway


But will they be alive tomorrow?



They think this thing is a highway


If it was our way, we'd have a tempo change every other time change


'Cause our mind's changed on what we think is good


I wasn't raised in the hood

But I know a thing or two about pain an' darkness


If it wasn't for this music I don't know how I would have fought this”

The song speaks so well for itself that there isn’t too much for me to say. But, those lyrics that I put in bold talk about how music is so therapeutic. I’ve discovered that especially this year as I’ve felt that music has helped me more than I can explain.


“Regardless, all these songs I'm hearin' are so heartless


Don't trust a perfect person an' don't trust a song that's flawless, honest


There's a few songs on this record that feel common


I'm in constant confrontation with what I want an' what is poppin'


In the industry, it seems to me that singles on the radio are currency


My creativity's only free when I'm playin' shows”


The rest of it addresses the pressure on song writers (or writers and artists of any kind!) to make things which the public will like, not what they genuinely feel like creating. 

(This is also the perfect driving song. I sing it all the time when I’m driving, but usually in my head because there are other people in the car).

In addition to that, Ode to Sleep (from Vessel) expresses the fight that all of their songs are in battle with. Skimming quickly, their music can seem really depressing, but it is chock full of hope. It is all about fighting depression and showing people that they aren’t alone.

Content: It has the word “whore” in it.

When I first listened to this song I was like, “Wow, that is the weirdest that I’ve ever heard.” It mashes so many different parts of music and at first hearing, it can seem crazy. But, with some focus when listening to the lyrics I’ve decided that it’s really awesome. Let’s start at the beginning.

“I wake up fine and dandy, but then by the time I find it handy


To rip my heart apart and start planning my crash landing”

How many times do I wake up ready to go, but then just deteriorate as the day goes on? And what happens when it’s night? It can get worse.:

“I'll stay awake 'cause the dark's not taking prisoners tonight


Why am I not scared in the morning?


I don't hear those voices calling


I must have kicked them out, I must have kicked them out


I swear I heard demons yelling


Those crazy words they were spelling


They told me I was gone, they told me I was gone



But I tell 'em, "Why won't you let me go?


Do I threaten all your plans? I'm insignificant"


Please tell 'em, you have no plans for me
I

 will set my soul on fire, what have I become?


I'll tell 'em”

It can be hard to tell your personal nightmares and fears to go away, but you can do it. Kick them out! We can’t promise that they won’t return, but the effort is worth so much.

All in all, I’m about as terrible at analyzing songs as I am at analyzing everything else. They just speak so much for themselves, you know?

My favorites:

You’re not rid of me yet. I would love to talk about every TOP song that I’ve ever heard, but we would be here all day. Instead, I’m going to talk quickly (mark that down, everyone, and see if this does happen fast) about my top ten and list some favorite lyrics from each. Which was a punishment to myself by forcing me to pick only ten. I would love to talk about each individual album and why I love it, but I don’t think anyone is interested in that.

I’m sorry that some of this is scattered. This post is taking me ages to write because I’m listening to Twenty One Pilots while I write it and I keep stopping to sing along. I’m going to try to focus...

All lyrics found on Genius Lyrics to make sure that I was accurate. If you just want to listen to a playlist with all of the songs that I talk about in this post, here is one on Spotify.

10. Heathens (single) & Level of Concern (single)

And just when you thought that I was going to randomly start talking about music and leave books and movies to the wind, you were wrong. Haha! I found a way to connect this back in to my purely books and movies blog! This song, “Heathens” was in the movie Suicide Squad (2016). I have no interest in watching that movie, but I really like this song.

Why? This was the first Twenty One Pilots song that I ever heard. Yep, remember that story that we talked about? This was my introduction! (Thanks to Faith! *hugs*)

For ages I would play it just because it terrified my sisters. Being the middle child I have to maintain my mischievous status, you know. But, from time to time I would sing this song to myself and I connected with it.

“All my friends are heathens, take it slow


Wait for them to ask you who you know


Please don't make any sudden moves


You don't know the half of the abuse”

Sometimes I feel that I am a “heathen”, that there is something wrong with me because I’m not like normal people, and when people judge me they don’t know that I’m going through.

(And actually, when reading about this song I learned that a lot of people have this reaction.)

And I have “Level of Concern” tied at 10th place because it is their newest release and since I’m talking about how I’ve come to know them in 2020, it is required. My older sister hates this song, so my younger sister and I torture her with it as often as we can. A day or two after its release we sung it constantly to drive her crazy. It is a younger sister’s duty to annoy her older siblings.

This expresses this year so much. In addition to that has SUCH A BOP.

“'Cause I told you my level of concern


But you walked by like you never heard


And you could bring down my level of concern


Just need you to tell me we're alright, tell me we're okay”

‘Nuff said.

9. Fall Away (from Twenty One Pilots)

“I don’t wanna fall fall away.”

THIS ONE SOUNDS SO COOL. I love it. In addition to that it has some heartbreak and difficulties in it that are relatable to so many.

“I'm dying and I'm trying


But believe me, I'm fine, but I'm lying


I'm so very far from fine”

This one talks about how it's okay to not be fine. Sometimes we all feel like everything is going around, but we need to courage to not fall away.

This is a little different from some of their other songs, but it also reminds me of Goner (from Blurryface).

8. The Run and Go (from Vessel)

When I heard it for the first time, I loved it so much that I showed it to my sister. Guess what she said?

“Kind of boring.”

Oh well, we can’t all love everything. I think it’s simple, but awesome. It talks about connecting to people even when we’re not perfect. We don’t want to bother other people with our problems when they have their own. At the same time, we don’t want to be alone.  

“Don't wanna call you in the nighttime


Don't wanna give you all my pieces


Don't wanna hand you all my trouble


Don't wanna give you all my demons


You'll have to watch me struggle


From several rooms away


But tonight, I'll need you to stay”

And the bridge? I just have to close my eyes and listen to it every time I hear it to take it all in.:

“Cold nights under siege from accusations


Cerebral thunder and one-way conversations”

It doesn’t look nearly as awesome, just spelled out, so you’ll have to listen to it. Please and thank you.

7. Oh Ms. Believer (from Twenty One Pilots)

There is something that is hauntingly gorgeous about this one. I love it, and not just because it talks about snow, which is my favorite thing. The melody is beautiful in a mysterious way.

“I will tell you, I love you


But the muffs on your ears will cater your fears


My nose and feet are running as we start


To travel through snow, together we go


Together we go”

6. House of Gold (from Vessel)

This song is just so much fun! If you’ve never listened to any Twenty One Pilots I recommend starting here! The rhythm is upbeat and catchy, and never grows old. It talks about the beautiful relationship between a son and his mother.

“She asked me, "Son, when I grow old


Will you buy me a house of gold?


And when your father turns to stone


Will you take care of me?"


I will make you queen of everything you see


I'll put you on the map, I'll cure you of disease”

These next five are securely in place as my favorites and it’s unlikely that they are going to change as opposed to the five previous ones which could be changed at any time.

5. The Judge (from Blurryface)

Content: This does have the word h---, but in talking about the location and not just swearing for no reason.

Guys, I want to play the ukulele solely so I can play this song and belt it out at top volume. The opening makes me think so much.:

“When the leader of the bad guys sang


Something soft and soaked in pain


I heard the echo from his secret hideaway


He must've forgot to close his door


As he cranked out those dismal chords


And his four walls declared him insane”

It really gives you some perspective, doesn’t it? This part hits home for me:

“But I'm not good with directions and I hide behind my mouth


I'm a pro at imperfections and I'm best friends with my doubt


And now that my mind's out and now I hear it clear and loud


I'm thinking "Wow, I probably should've stayed inside my house."”

4. Not Today (from Blurryface)

I’ve come to love this one only in the last few months, but apparently I’ve obsessed over listening to it because according to Spotify it is my most listened to song of the year.

“Listen, I know


This one's a contradiction because of how happy it sounds


But the lyrics are so down


It's okay though


Because it represents, wait, better yet it is


Who I feel I am right now”

The message of this song that I see is that we all have voices in our heads that hide in the shadows until everything is dark. Then we don’t realize that they are shadows--fakes. We can’t believe them and we have to kick them out. They won’t get to us, not today.

“Heard you say, "Not today"


Tore the curtains down, windows open, now make a sound


Heard your voice, "there's no choice"


Tore the curtains down, windows open, now make a noise”

It wasn’t until I started writing this out that I realized that this one and “Ode to Sleep” go really well together.

3. Migraine (from Vessel)

“Am I the only one I know?

Waging my wars behind my face and above my throat

Shadows will scream that I’m alone

But I know we’ve made it this far, kid.”

This song is deep. And hard. It mentions suicide a lot. Which freaks people out a lot when I say that this is my favorite because:

“You know, I’ve always been collected calm, and chill” 

(Wrong song! Seriously though, I love “Smithereens” (from Trench) so much) 

Because I’m such a happy person. I admit, that is one of my goals in life, to be happy and an optimist no matter the circumstances. Sometimes it is hard, and instead of caving into despair I listen to this song, channeling all of my negativity into it then keep going.

Can we also look at the wordplay in this song? It is fantastic on that level as well, and has the most complicated lyrics that I’ve ever heard in a song.

“I am not as fine as I seem, pardon.

Me for yelling, I'm telling you green gardens


Are not what's growing in my psyche, it's a different me


A difficult beast, feasting on burnt down trees”

Before all of you guys panic about my wellbeing I’m going to stop your fears. I’m absolutely fine, and I love life, and am so grateful for all of my life and family and opportunities that I receive. What I love about this song is that it fights depression and loneliness. My favorite part is the bridge; every time I listen to it I am filled with a burst of hope.:

“And I will say that we should take a day to break away


From all the pain our brain has made, the game is not played alone


And I will say that we should take a moment and hold it


And keep it frozen and know that life has a hopeful undertone”

Doesn’t that just set a spark into your soul? To keep fighting and live?

2. Ride (from Blurryface)

I’m so thankful for this song because it is the first one that I listened to in March 2020 and showed me that there were so many amazing Twenty One Pilots songs. 

This TOP’s most famous song, and usually I fight against The Hype (boom, another reference), but there’s a reason this one is so good.

First of all, it just sounds AMAZING. I love it so much.

Second, I hardcore relate to it.

“I’m falling so I’m taking my time on my ride.”

So often I just try to be a cheery person and ignore anything that is pilling up. So, I’m usually drowning in work and behind on a million things, so I’m falling, but I’m causal about it and very much taking my time on the ride.

“I’ve been thinking too much, help me.”

Also, apparently I’m not the only one who thinks too much? Even though parts of it are repeating lyrics, they strike home.

And my top favorite is...

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Any guesses?

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Can I get a drum roll?

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1. Stressed Out (from Blurryface)

Where to start with what this song means to me? This is my vibe. If you ever wanted to know me, just listen to this song. That knowledge is scary, that anyone who listens to this fully sees me as who I am.

“Wish we could turn back time to the good old days


When our momma sang us to sleep, but now we're stressed out”

Especially this year I’ve been going through a lot of changes and a lot of stress. I tend to ignore it because then it’s not there, right? Well, anytime I felt that like I couldn’t handle it any more I would listen to this song.

And it made me feel so much better.

“We used to play pretend, give each other different names


We would build a rocket ship an' then we'd fly it far away


Used to dream of outer space, but now they're laughin' at our face


Sayin', "Wake up, you need to make money!," yeah”

As with all of these songs, this music just makes me feel like I’m not alone. If someone could put it all so perfectly into words, then I’m not the only one feeling this.

Albums ranked (‘cause why not?):

1. Blurryface (2015)

2. Vessel (2012)

3. Twenty One Pilots (2009)

4. Trench (2018)

(Those last two are only like that because I haven’t heard all of the songs.)

Thank you so much for reading and helping me make it to 400 posts! I would love to talk about Twenty One Pilots with any of you. Have you heard any of their songs? Which are your favorites? Do you like this kind of post or are you looking forward to when I get back to my usual stuff?

MovieCritic

My 300th Post: My Ten Favorite Movie Scores

Hello, movie fans!

The day has come. This is my 300th post. I have no clue where the time goes (apparently into writing all of these posts). As I have been hitting these milestones I like to do something special. For My 100th Post I said my top 100 favorite movies (where I just typed anything that came into my head. I have a more accurate list on my page My Favorites) and for My 200th Post I listed all of the movies that I had seen in the theater up to that point (now I have a lot more to add). The question was, what was I going to do for my 300th?

As you all know I love to watch movies. But, so many different elements make up films. For today, I will be listing my top 10 favorite movie scores! I will put a video for each one so you can listen and see why I love it. I promise, none of these will be over 10 minutes.

For clarification:
I'm counting movies, so no TV shows (i.e. Robin Hood BBC, Sherlock, Pride & Prejudice) that would be a separate post.
No movies that I just like the music to but technically haven't seen the movie (The Great Escape) and no movies where I just love the score but don't the movie (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly). I mean, some times the only things I like about movies is the music, but what I'm thinking of for this list are movies that are amazing and perfect, but wouldn't be complete without the soundtrack.
And, these are scores, not soundtracks. I get the two confused all the time. Apparently, score is just instrumental, while a soundtrack can include songs with words from the film. None of these are musicals because that is impossible to pick.

Honorable mentions:
The Magnificent Seven (1960 version), Indiana Jones, Howl's Moving Castle, Kung Fu Panda.

Starting at 10 and going down to 1...

10. The Princess Diaries (2001)

So many movies were vying for this spot, trying to be here. Finally, I had to go with this one. The score is light and airy and makes me so happy because I have watched this so many times (Also, I love the soundtrack, too!). If you haven't ever seen this, you are missing out on a really sweet movie. (I noticed that this video is the one of the shortest. As I go on they keep getting longer.)

9. Pirates of the Caribbean

Besides Indiana Jones, this was the first movie that I realized had music playing through out the whole thing. This is so epic and "piraty"! I like to listen to it while I write. And, though I only put the main one here, there are so many different parts to listen to!

8. Chariots of Fire (1981)

This is so cool! I had heard it a lot before actually watching the movie, and though it seems like the wrong genre of music, it captures the fight to win the races perfectly. And it shows the joy of running. It just makes me so happy. I first heard it when I was watching the London 2012 Olympics. This score won Best Original Score 1981 at the Oscars!

7. Up (2009)

I dare you to listen to this and not cry. Pixar makes music such an important part of their films, and in my opinion, this is where they did it the best. The music tugs at your emotions, making you laugh and cry with just a few simple notes. Ugh, I love it so much! Excuse me while I go cry.

6. Sherlock Holmes

The violins pierce through and strike me of being so much like Sherlock himself. The score goes with the whole movie, and it was actually because I thought that it sounded so cool (from when my mom was watching) that convinced me to watch it. (Sorry, this video is giving me a little bit of trouble, but I think that I have it fixed now.)

5. Sense and Sensibility (1995)

It was hard to pick the top 5. This one is here because I have so much nostalgia for it. The score is not epic or loud, it is soft and quiet and pretty. The one that I have above is called "My Father's Favourite". This movie is one of my favorite Jane Austen adaptations, and this music fits it so well!

4. Harry Potter

John Williams is a master of composing music. He makes it sound so magical and intriguing and he pulls you into the world right away. Love it! As soon as you hear this you think of wizards, magic, spells, and Harry Potter.

3. Chronicles of Narnia

THE NOSTALGIA. It is kind of long, but if nothing else listen to the second half of this. It is so beautiful! "I can't take it in..." (that's from a song from the credits, so I love the soundtrack, too). The way the instruments blend is breathtaking! Ack!

2. How to Train Your Dragon

I love this score so much! What I have above is called "Test Drive" and is one of the best pieces of music of all time, in my opinion. In the third movie they were messing with me because they kept starting to play it and I would squeal with delight, but then they would go into something else. When they finally did I bawled and cried because I love it so much.


What could my top favorite of all time be?


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1. Star Wars

Did you expect anything else? Star Wars has such an epic and iconic score, it has to be number 1. I wouldn't be my grandpa's granddaughter if it wasn't! I just put the main theme, because otherwise we would be sitting here all day, but I absolutely love the score for the binary sunsets scene and the ending ceremony, and the Catina, Darth Vader's is the ultimate villain one and adds so much to his character, and the ending Ewok score for Return of the Jedi! And that's not even going into the new ones!

One of my favorite stories (and I'm not sure that it's true, but either way it is awesome), is from when they were making A New Hope. The story goes that George Lucas was directing them and saying, "We'll do this and Leia's theme will be playing."
Just joking, Mark Hamill says, "Leia gets a theme but Luke doesn't?"
George Lucas looks him directly in the eye and says, "Luke's theme is the main theme."
It is said that up until that moment Mark Hamill hadn't realized that he was the main star!


I know you are all wondering, "Where is The Lord of the Rings?" Well, my sister loves the score for that, but I've only seen the first movie (I'm going to fix that, soon), and after I've watched the other two I'll be more attached to it.


Thank you so much for reading/listening! Let me know if you like these, and tell me what your favorites are!

MovieCritic

My 200th Post: Movies I Saw in the Theater

Hello, movie lovers!

It seems so crazy that this is my 200th post! I can't believe it. The computer must be lying. But, when I read through the list I did write all of them. Wow.

Anyway, to celebrate I am giving you a list of all the movies I've ever seen in a theater. I remember most of them. Some of these my sister told me we saw but I don't remember seeing them in the theater.

And they are:

Open Season (2006) [Yep, this is the first one I remember.]

Meet the Robinsons (2007)

Shrek the Third (2007)

Prince Caspian (2008)

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

Wall-e (2008) [This is one of my favorite movies, but I really don't remember seeing it in the theater! All of my family claim that we did, though.]

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Shrek Forever After (2010)

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World (2011)

Puss in Boots (2011)

Brave (2012)

Frankenweenie (2012) [Not my idea!]

Oz the Great and Powerful (2013) [This was my first and only 3D movie, it was a good choice for it!]

Dolphin Tale 2 (2014)

The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies (2014) [I saw it in 2015, without seeing either of the others. I know, I know, that is crazy. But, we had friends in town and they had a bunch of free coupons for a movie, and we are a one movie theater.]

The Peanuts Movie (2015)

STAR WARS VII: The Force Awakens (2015)

The BFG (2016)

Beauty and the Beast (2017)

Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

STAR WARS VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)

The Incredibles 2 (2018)

Christopher Robin (2018)

Have you seen any of these? Did you see them in the theater? Thanks for reading my 200th post!

MovieCritic